Deer Hunting Is Not Dead

Holding onto and expanding the sport of deer hunting is important, it is a great part of our American heritage. Deer hunting was thought to be a dying sport until recent years, busy lifestyles pulled many people away from outdoor things in their lives. Almost all states now have programs to teach youth hunters about gun safety, hunting ethics and being responsible . Hunting organizations and gun clubs assist the states in getting the youthful hunter off to the right start. There are youth hunting season when young people can hunt without competition from other hunters. There are just about as many girls as boys interested in hunting today.

Anti hunting groups would love to see all deer hunting stopped. They have used propaganda films like televisions Guns Of Autumn to turn the public against hunting. That should have been an easy task with the majority the people living in metropolitan areas, far removed from the sights; sounds, serenity; and smells of the country. That false, high-pitched anti hunting fervor, film started in 1975, the deer hunting lives on.

The American deer hunting heritage can be traced back to the days of the pilgrims. Many changes have taken place, from how the deer are hunted to how they are processed and consumed. Deer hunters for the most part love the outdoors as much as the deer hunting. The healthy low-fat meat that they bring home is just a bonus to go along with the memories of the hunt. They work to enhance the relationship between the land, the deer and the hunter.

The South Dakota Department of Game Fish and Parks, the deer hunters and the landowners are a prime example of teamwork. There were no deer in eastern South Dakota until the nineteen forties. Now it is necessary for the state to have an extra reduction season to thin out the herd, In 2007 181,000 deer licenses were sold. There were 70,000 whitetail deer and 17,000 mule deer harvested. The population of the state isn’t much over 800,000. There is no reason to let any harvested deer go to waste with the program Sportsmen Against Hunger, with assistance from the Game Fish and Parks Department the meat processing costs are paid. The meat is donated to the needy and food pantries.

Most hunters will help police their own ranks to preserve their sport of deer hunting. There is a small minority of slob hunters or iron pony hunters who never get out of their new four-wheel-drive pickups. Trespassing and poaching deer is still a problem in some areas. The faithful deer hunters help keep those people in check. TIPS turn in poachers hotlines helps the state control that illegal act.

Economic conditions today will no doubt cause some people to come back to deer hunting. A lot of people who didn’t live close to hunting areas drifted away from hunting during the busy booming economic years. Putting meat on the table might have people considering methods other than the local supermarket again. Meat prices have become extremely high and will continue to stay that way.

Deer hunting like everything else costs a lot more in 2015, cost is a very important factor for most hunters. Access to hunting land is another issue for hunters in some areas of the country as land falls into the hands of fewer private owners. Many states have federal land that is open to hunting and state wildlife agencies continue to purchase land for public hunting with funds from hunting and fishing revenue. There will be places for the average Joe to hunt deer for many years to come.
Deer hunting is not a dying sport http://www.feedtheneedsd.com

3 thoughts on “Deer Hunting Is Not Dead”

If I were biking, or walking around in Southeast Asia I do believe hunting would be the furthest thing from my mind. Like I said in this story kind of a part of our heritage when our people first came to South Dakota there were no deer, now they are almost a nuisance. I forgot to mention the other day, I also spent two years in northern Japan, like leaving home when I left there. Thanks for the visit.

I grew up eating venison, while I am against poaching and hunting for sport, to hunt for food by legal means in an abundant population is another matter…growing up in Kansas, Deer were a nuisance there eating crops and the like.
My Dad did not enjoy it but did it when he had to to put meat on the table, had it not been for that, I think I would have not eaten much meat in my college years! My feeling is if everyone had to hunt their own meat, there would be a lot less wasted food in this country.